NAIDOC Week at Transport for NSW

Aboriginal Elder Uncle Max takes part in a smoking ceremony using native plants.

Transport for NSW acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land and pays respect to Elders, past and present.

We’re exceptionally proud to be supporting NAIDOC Week 2018 here at Transport for NSW. A number of events have taken place, with more to come, and lots to see across the public transport network this week and beyond.

This year’s theme, ‘Because of Her, We Can!’ recognises the important contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. You can read more about the significance of this theme and the invaluable work of women here

This year NAIDOC Week is from Sunday 8 July to Sunday 15 July. Here’s a quick look at some of the ways we’re celebrating the week and more importantly how you can get involved.

Discover Aboriginal art on Wynscreen at Wynyard Station

Did you know that Wynyard Station is home to Wynscreen, a dedicated site for digital public art?

Over 20 metres wide, and almost 3 metres high, Wynscreen will be screening Aboriginal art on a specially programmed 1 hour loop throughout NAIDOC Week, allowing you to see the range of works each time you pass through. The works will continue screening in their original formats for the duration of July.

Karla Dickens, ‘The Queen’s Road’
Born Wiradjuri Nation, NSW, Australia
Lives and works in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia

Section of Artist Statement:
“While Australia watched and listened to every step of the Queen’s first-class journey, what was the experience of people off the road, in the bush, by the rivers and in the gullies? Invisible Australians who were also touched by the 1954 Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II.”

Section of Artists’ Statement:
“We made this little film to make our sculptures come alive. We made the film by doing our sewing and thinking of stories and working together. All the stories that come into our heads when we sit and sew, well some of these, we thought, we could make come alive…”

Section of Artist Statement:
“The people in the video are all moving, walking to the other side of Yirrkala and the people of Sydney are watching from the other side as they walk past on their way…”

Catch Wynscreen and all of the art at Wynyard Station’s Clarence Street entrance.

Central Station Clock Tower Takeover

If you travel through Central Station on your commute be sure to look up! From Sunday 8 July to Sunday 15 July, Central Station Clock Tower will light up with images of four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women – Aunty Jen Munro, Nicola Sabatino, Aunty Di O’Brien and Lilla Lowanna.

Aunty Jen Munro, Nicola Sabatino, Aunty Di O’Brien and Lilla Lowanna will feature in a Central Station Clock Tower projection launching on Sunday 8 July as part of NAIDOC Week.

Message Stick Ceremony

Our team at NSW TrainLink and Sydney Trains kicked off the week with a special event at Central Station to farewell message sticks on a journey around NSW. Message sticks are a traditional way of communication between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language groups.

These message sticks will travel across the land on coaches and trains as far north as Casino, as far west as Broken Hill and as far south as Albury with events held at stations along the way. You can see the map here.

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